A Moment is easily as topical today as it was when it was made in 2010, and considering recent news stories from China, perhaps even more so. A dark and twisted tale which resolutely shows that an action taken in a single moment can ultimately change the lives of all concerned, irrevocably. [Read More]
Hangul Celluloid Korean film reviews (page 10)
Architecture 101 (건축학개론, 2012) review: a nostalgic blueprint of first love and subjective memory
While Architecture 101 covers territory similar to that seen in a plethora of incredibly well known Korean films it nonetheless manages to stand as a worthy addition to the romantic drama genre, rather than simply appearing as a derivation, as a result of the genuine beauty and believability of its gently affecting tale. [Read More]
Leafie – A Hen into the Wild (마당을 나온 암탉, 2011) review: a hen with a heart
Beneath its gentle humour and warmth, Leafie explores outsiderhood, family, selfless love, and sacrifice, building toward a quietly heartbreaking yet uplifting conclusion that resonates with both children and adults. Disney once asked viewers to believe that an elephant can fly. With Leafie, you’ll believe that a hen has a heart, and a beautiful one at that. [Read More]
A Reason to Live (오늘, 2011) review: faith, forgiveness and the limits of healing
While A Reason to Live should be commended for its attempt to dissect so many serious social, and even philosophical, issues within its narrative, its overuse of rather predictable clichés, contrived plot catalysts and its somewhat laboured pace detract from what would otherwise have been a worthy, cerebral story. [Read More]
Actresses (여배우들, 2009) review: mockumentary fiction and celebrity reality
Set during a stalled Vogue photo shoot, Actresses observes six Korean stars across generations as boredom gives way to rivalry, confession and self-exposure. Described by director E J-yong as “a combination of reality show and fake documentary”, Actresses surely contains some truth hidden alongside the scripted scenes. [Read More]
Planet of Snail (달팽이의 별, 2011) review: love, interdependence and life beyond disability
A deeply touching and poignant documentary presenting a window into the life, and world, of a gentle man who has become deaf-blind, Planet of Snail is ultimately far more a story of the strength of the human heart than of the weakness of the human body. [Read More]
Searching for the Elephant (펜트하우스 코끼리, 2009) review: overburdened by excess
A strong narrative storyline is sadly marred by overly stylised visuals and direction that largely feels forced and predictable. While certainly not a total waste, Searching for the Elephant is ultimately far less than the gripping, explicit thriller it so easily could, and should, have been. [Read More]
Desire to Kill aka Enemy at the Dead End (죽이고 싶은, 2010) review: quirky revenge in a hospital ward
Desire to Kill references some fairly serious social themes within a quirky and genuinely funny black comedy cum psychological thriller, accenting and underlining each with copious amounts of bloody violence throughout. Just don’t, whatever you do, be so lazy as to compare it to Oldboy. [Read More]
Mother is a Whore (엄마는 창녀다, 2009) review: a bleak reversal of family and moral appearances
With its intelligently written and deftly executed narrative, Mother is a Whore (written and directed by, and starring Lee Sang-woo) serves not only as a searing, bleak and unsettling tale but also as an in-depth critique of the concept of family. [Read More]
Castaway on the Moon (김씨 표류기, 2009) review: isolation, hope and black bean noodles
Castaway on the Moon combines social commentary with one of the warmest and gently funny narratives of recent memory to create what can only be described as a classic piece of Korean cinema. Only inspired filmmaking could make you believe that there is hope to be found at the bottom of a packet of black bean noodles [Read More]
Chilling Romance (aka Spellbound) (오싹한 연애, 2011) review: love, laughs and long-haired ghouls
A film that uses classic romantic comedy narrative ideas and combines them beautifully with humorous homages to, and parodies of, well know Asian horror movies, Chilling Romance, starring Son Ye-jin, may only be light-hearted entertainment at its core but entertaining it is, all the same. [Read More]
Bleak Night (파수꾼, 2011) review: fractured friendships, shared guilt
Told through flashbacks and investigation, Bleak Night examines the collapse of teenage friendships after a boy’s suicide. A multi-layered, multi-themed dissection of masculine adolescence, it delves into issues of peer pressure, bullying, guilt, blame and culpability within a brooding, yet gripping, tale of the intricacies of relationships. [Read More]
Arirang (아리랑, 2011) review: Kim Ki-duk in isolation, anger and self-reckoning
Arirang is a deeply personal search for catharsis from a director frozen by how he feels he’s been treated by the film industry and stands as an utterly unmissable example of his talent. To my mind, at its time of making Arirang was quite simply Kim Ki-duk’s best film to date. [Read More]
Harmony (하모니, 2010) review: a discordant blend of humour and pathos
Prison melodrama about an abused woman separated from her newborn and the inmate choir she forms for redemption. Attempting to be a poignant melodrama containing both humorous and uplifting elements, Harmony largely fails due to the disparity of its constituent parts – each detracting from the others’ effectiveness, with none truly mixing harmoniously. [Read More]
July 32nd (7월 32일, 2010) review: a life stolen and the day that never comes
There is no happiness whatsoever in July 32nd, and a bleaker film would be quite an effort to find, but a story this poignantly satisfying and deftly executed cannot fail to grip like a vice, breaking the heart and remaining in the mind long after the credits roll. Astounding. [Read More]
The Journals of Musan (무산일기, 2011) review: a fitting tribute to a gentle outsider
Following a North Korean defector scraping by in South Korea, The Journals of Musan is without question an incredibly dark affair, but it never fails to touch the heart and ultimately stands as a fitting tribute to a gentle man who was never given the chance he truly deserved. [Read More]